BMW i4 debuts in production guise with sleek look, decent range

BMW is bolstering its EV portfolio with the addition of the i4, essentially an electric variant of the next-generation 4 Series Gran Coupe. It echoes the design of the latest 4 Series Coupe, with the obvious addition of rear doors and an elongated roofline. It inherits the love/hate kidney grille, only this time it only serves a design purpose since there’s no combustion engine underneath the hood.

To separate it from the 4 Series Coupe, BMW has given the new i4 flush door handles and a fresh alloy wheel design, along with the typical blue exterior accents you’d expect from a BMW i product. Headlights, taillights, and many of the sleek design cues seen on the 4 Series Coupe have made their way to Bavaria’s latest EV.

Images of the interior have not been provided so far, but it’s unlikely to stray away from what you’ll find in a current-generation 3 Series / 4 Series. As for specs, BMW is only confirming there will be an M Performance model with as much as 530 horsepower (390 kilowatts), enough electric punch for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time in approximately four seconds.

Details about the battery pack used in the new i4 are not available, but it will be good for an estimated 300 miles (483 kilometers) for the US-spec car using the EPA rating while the global model will do 590 kilometers (367 miles) according to WLTP.

Additional details are going to be disclosed in the following weeks. BMW will launch the i4 later this year and says the swoopy sedan will hit the market three months earlier than planned, joining the newly released iX electric SUV. Several configurations are planned, including rear- and all-wheel-drive models.

It is believed the RWD variants will be sold as eDrive35 and eDrive40 models while the M Performance-branded i4 could carry the M50 suffix. Logic tells us the range topper, expected to come only with xDrive, is unlikely to offer the quoted maximum range since it will prioritize performance over efficiency.

Source: BMW